On April 20, 2022, the Province of Manitoba opened the first of two intake periods for the 2022-2023 Canada-Manitoba Job Grant (the "Grant"), a new program that will provide funding to employers to help cover training costs of new and existing employees. A second intake period will open in August 2022.

The Canada-Manitoba Job Grant

Under the Grant, employers can apply for up to $10,000 per employee to an overall maximum of $100,000. Employers with 100 or fewer employees can receive 75% of eligible training costs. Employers with more than 100 employees can receive 50% of eligible training costs.

Employer Eligibility Criteria

The following employers are eligible to apply for the Grant:

  • private employers;
  • non-profit organizations;
  • industry associations, sector councils, groups of employers;
  • union halls;
  • First Nations; and
  • municipal governments.

Employers not eligible for the Grant include the following:

  • prior recipients of three job grants over the past five years;
  • current recipients of funding from Manitoba under another industry workplace development program such as the Industry Expansion Program or the Workplace Development Program;
  • schools and post-secondary institutions funded by provincial/federal sources;
  • federal, provincial and territorial governments; and
  • federal and provincial crown corporations and agencies.

Eligible Training Participants

Eligible training participants must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada and include:

  • full-time, part-time or seasonal employees;
  • individuals who are unemployed and seeking training to get a job;
  • employees who reside in another province, but are working in Manitoba.

Certain individuals are not eligible for training under the Grant, including

individuals with a social insurance number that begins with "9", temporary foreign workers, independent contractors and employees of a Manitoba company who reside and work in a different province or country.

Eligible Training and Training Costs

To qualify, the training must be delivered by a third-party trainer, begin on or after April 1, 2022 and end on or before March 15, 2023.

The following training is eligible for the Grant:

  • training delivered by an external provider (i.e., a university, college or private consultant);
  • training that an employer deems necessary to equip employees with new skills and/or knowledge to meet business goals; and
  • activities such as coaching, mentorship and conferences/seminars will be assessed for eligibility.

Eligible training costs include:

  • tuition fees;
  • mandatory student fees;
  • textbooks, software and other required materials;
  • exam fees; and
  • travel costs for the training of individuals in northern and remote communities.

The following costs are not eligible for funding:

  • expenses for internal training delivered by a company employee;
  • wages of employees while in training;
  • activities such as coaching, mentorship and conferences/seminars will be assessed for eligibility; and
  • trade training through an apprenticeship.

Application

To be reimbursed for the eligible training costs, the employer must submit:

  • a training plan report;
  • a training evaluation; and
  • proof of payment of eligible training costs (e.g., an invoice).

More information on the Grant, eligibility criteria and eligible activities can be found here.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.